Pivoted prop support members for drop-leaf tables or the like



Dec. 18, 1951 A CRAMER 2,578,922

R. PIVOTED PROP SUPPORT MEMBERS FOR DROP-LEAF TABLES OR THE LIKE Filed Sept. 22, 1950 25 INVENTOR. 2 n Pay/4 (iv/ ref Z7 v ATTOF/VfYS' Patented Dec. 18, 1951 PIVOTED PROP SUPPORT MEMBERS FOR DROP-LEAF TABLES OR THE LIKE Roy A. Qramer, Kansas City, Mo. Application September 22, 1950, Serial No. 186,202

2 Claims. (01. 311-65) This invention relates to drop leaf tables and more particularly to mechanism for raising and lowering said drop leaves.

.Heretofore, devices of this character have generally included Spring means or slidingbars for extending drop leaves where it was necessary to reach far under the table to operate such extensions and folding mechanisms.

7 It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a table leaf supportwhich will be self acting when the leaf is raised and which can be easily released for folding the leaves downwardly.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a table top and leaves cast in such a manner as to include a plurality of ears on the respective edges of the table and leaves having openings therein for receiving rods for hingedly connecting the leaves to the table; to provide the underneath side of the leaves with ribs for lending rigidity to the leaves; to provide the leaves with ears adapted, to be pivoted on rods for holding the leaves in extended position by having their inner ends contacting cross bars on the legs of the table; to provide the drop leaf with annular flanges on their outer peripheries; and to provide rods with finger portions terminating at the inner edge of said flanges for easy access for releasing the cross bars to lower the leaves.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the present invention, I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my invention showing one leaf of a table in extended position, the other leaf in lowered position, and illustrating the ribbing and the ear to which the rods are pivoted.

Fig. 2 is an elevational cross-sectional view through a portion of the table illustrating the hinge connection of the leaf to the table and the pivoted rod for holding the leaf in extended position.

Fig. 3 is an elevational cross-sectional view showing one of the leaves in drop position.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on a line 4-4, Fig. 2.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

I designates a table embodying the features of my invention comprising a top 2, having sides 3 and 4 and ends 5 and 6 supported by a plurality of legs 1 having bell shaped base members 8.

While I preferably cast the table top from 2 metal, it may be made from any suitable material and includes a depending flange 9 around the periphery thereof and flush with the end edges 5 and 6 are a plurality of depending lugs [0 having bore openings II. Drop leaves [2 and I3 are provided also preferably cast from suitable metal or the like having a depending flange M around the outer peripheries. neath side of the leaves [2 and I3 are provided with a longitudinal rib i5, obliquely extending ribs l6 and I7, transverse ribs l8 also obliquely extending or v-shaped ribs running near the end edges of the drop leaf to lend rigidity to the structure.

Depending from the inner edges 19 and 25! of the drop leaves [2 and 13 are a plurality of spaced curved brackets or lugs 2!, the brackets being spaced so as to engage alongside of the depending lugs In of the end edges of the table. The brackets 2! are provided with openings 22 and a rod 23 engages in said openings and in the openings in the depending lugs is to hingedly connect the leaves to the table top.

Formed integrally with the underneath side of the leaves 12 and I3 substantially midway lengthwise of said leaves and on the ribs l5 are spaced ears 2 1 and 25 to which is attached by pins 26 leaf sup-porting rods 27 and 28. The supporting rods 2'! and 28 are curved or substantially semi-circular as best illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 and flattened as indicated at 23 (Fig. 2)

a.- the pivotal point with the leaves. The pivotal point is substantially near the outer ends of the rods and the extreme outer ends are curved downwardly as indicated at 33 and upwardly forming a hook or finger portion 3| terminating inside the depending flange M on the outer edge of the leaves so as to be easily accessible to the operator, the end of the finger portion engaging against the underneath side of the leaves to form a stop to limit movement of the rod when the leaves are lowered.

The other ends of the rods 27 and 23 are turned laterally as indicated at 32 and upwardly and outwardly forming hooks or bearing portions 33 on the lower side thereof adapted to engage cross bars 34 and 35 on the leg members spaced from the table top. The bearing portions 33 and finger portions 3| terminate in fiat surfaces 36 and 31 respectively and lie in planes substantially perpendicular to each other for a purpose later described.

Operation of the table constructed and assembled as described is as follows:

When the leaves are in extended position, light The underpressure downwardly of the finger of the operator on the finger-portions 3| will release the hooks or bearing portions 33 from the cross bars 34 so that the leaves will move downwardly alongside of the table legs until the flat surfaces 36 of the supporting rods contact the under surface of the top, thus limiting the inward swing of the leaves. After the bearing portions 33 are raised from the cross bars, weight of the rods will cause the flat surfaces 31 to engage the un derside of the leaves to swing the inner ends of the rods upwardly in suspended position. In raising the leaves, the rods being pivoted near the outer end and the inner end being heavier, the bearing surfaces 33 will automatically contact the cross bar 34 when the leaves reach their substantially plane position. When the leaves are in down position, the finger portions 3| will be in contact with the underneath side of the leaves at the outer edge thereof as best illustrated in Fig. 3, and will remain in that position until the leaves are in substantially angular position and until the rods at substantially the .point indicated at 38 will contact the cross bars and further movement of the leaves upwardly will cause the bearing portions to contact the cross bars.

It will be obvious from the foregoing that I have provided an improved support for drop leaf tables which is self acting and easily accessible to the operator.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters "Patent is:

1. In a table or the like having spaced supporting legs at each end thereof and having a top and drop leaves hingedly secured to said top, prop support members for said leaves comprising curved rods, means pivotally connecting said rods near their outer ends to the underneath side of said leaves near their outer edges, cross bars connecting said legs and spaced from said top, the inner ends of said rods being curved upwardly and inwardly toward said cross bars providing bearing surfaces engaging said bars when the leaves are raised, and hooks on the outer ends of said rods having bearing surfaces engaging the under surface of said leaves whereby downward pressure on the hooks by a user will raise the bearing surfaces on the inner end of the rods from the cross bars and the weight of the long end of'the rods from their pivoted points will curved rods, means pivotally connecting said rods near their outer ends to the underneath side of said leaves near their outer edges, cross bars connecting said legs and spaced from said top,

the inner ends of said rods being curved upwardly and inwardly toward said cross bars providing bearing surfaces engaging said bars when the leaves are raised, said extreme inner ends of the rods having flat surfaces and hooks on the outer ends of said rods having bearing surfaces engaging the under surface of said leaves whereby downward pressure on the hooks by a user will raise the bearing surfaces on the inner end of the rods from the cross bars and the weight of the long end of the rods from their pivoted points will cause the bearing surfaces on the hooks to again engage the under surface of the leaves when the leaves are lowered to hold the rods suspended and Will cause the bearing surfaces to contact the cross bars when the leaves are raised, and said fiat surfaces on the ends of said rods will contact the underneath side of the top to limit inward swing of said leaves when lowered.

ROY A. CRAMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 27,026 Walker Jan. 31, 1860 99,829 Briggs Feb. 15, 1870 254,778 Mosher et a1 Mar. 7, 1882 331,857 Wolf et al Dec. '8, 1885 359,482 Colvin Mar. 15, 1887 390,145 Ulsh Sept. 25, 1888 596,975 Bent Jan. 11, 1898 948,729 Hendricks Feb. 8, 1910 1,073,537 Steingruber Sept. 16, 1913 1,622,451 Kroschel Mar. 29, 1927 1,858,857 Huntley May 17, 1932 

